Tragic statistics: UNICEF on the increase in the number of affected Ukrainian children.

In 2024, a record number of children were living in conflict zones, and in Ukraine, during the first 9 months of last year, there were more children who became victims of the war than in all of 2023. This information was released by UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.

According to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, 2024 became one of the worst years in the history of the fund regarding children living in conflict zones. The number of affected children and the degree of impact on their lives were at the highest level.

According to UNICEF, currently 473 million children, which is less than 20% of all children in the world, live in conflict zones. Since the 90s, this figure has increased from approximately 10% to nearly 19%.

Since 2023, the UN has recorded 32,990 'grave violations' affecting 22,557 children. This is the largest number of children recorded during UN monitoring.

The UNICEF report states that due to the destruction, damage, or repurposing of schools, Ukrainian children, as well as children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria, have been left without the opportunity to receive education.

UNICEF leader Catherine Russell mentioned that children growing up in conflict zones are less able to attend school, have proper nutrition, and are often forced to leave their homes compared to children living in peaceful areas. She urged not to accept this situation as the norm.

UNICEF also emphasizes that by the end of 2023, over 47 million children were forced to evacuate due to conflicts and violence.

The Ukrainian authorities claim that during the war, more than 19,000 children have been abducted and deported to Russia, in addition to the forcibly displaced children.

In 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children's Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on suspicion of war crimes, including illegal deportation and displacement of the population, including children, from occupied Ukraine.

Catherine Russell emphasized that children living in combat zones face a daily struggle for survival, which robs them of their childhood.